“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5
I felt impressed to recap on the ‘Power of Praise’ as I can’t shake off how important it is.
I first experienced the power of praise after reading Merlin Carothers’ book called the ‘Power of Praise,’ before going into the Rhodesian Army in 1974. The teaching then really helped me in some difficult times. I have often preached on the need to praise since then but not taken it too seriously. Somehow the enemy (Satan) had been blocking me, clouding my understanding from how powerful praise can be. I have often felt depressed over the years and prayed that God would speak to me about what I should do. I’d be led to the Psalms with all those chapters on praise, but somehow was blinded to the significance of the repeated calls to be thankful and praise God.
We can subconsciously think that praise is just too simple. It's got to be something deeper, it's got to be something more mysterious that is the solution. Surely I have to do something more like fast, give more money, or do some sort of penance. Yes there are times for fasting and it’s never the wrong thing to give, but praise helps clear the way for us to do the will of God. The trouble is we can end up ‘navel gazing,’ looking within at all the bad stuff, and focusing on the problems in our lives. This kind of attitude keeps us from focusing upon God and His goodness, blocking us from His power.
The Bible says the world is under the shadow of the wicked one and all of us can be affected one way or the other. But there is a solution.
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Corinthians 4:4
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12
The Bible says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but spiritual forces that come against us. Satan is quite a big factor in the world around us, but with praising God we can overcome the world. We are more than conquerors.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:3
“I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.” 1 John 2:13
I can see now that one of the most powerful ways to overcome Satan is through praise. We looked at that verse in Psalms where God has ordained strength and power from the mouth of babes. It is not just for those who are great Christians but even the baby ones.
“Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou might still the enemy and the avenger.” Psalm 8:2
“And said unto him, Hear thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” Matthew 21:15-16
What this shows us is that you don't have to be too clever to overcome the Devil as even babies can do it. This is the way we still the Enemy and the Avenger. The trouble is we complicate things. I also mentioned in my previous message at the prophecy given to Judah from his father Jacob.
“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;” Genesis 49:8
Judah means ‘Praise.’ This was a prophecy for him back then but it's also a prophecy for all those who praise God. It’s one of the many promises given to Judah and all those who praise God and that is that Judah (Praise) can overcome the enemy. Praise overcomes the enemy in our life too – amen. Praise is a powerful weapon against Satan. Look again at this confirmation. Its for all the Saints.
“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.” Psalm 149:6-9
This is the privilege of all God's Saints. It stands to reason for when we praise God, He comes down and dwells in your praises
“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3
It also says in Psalm 67 that praise brings about our harvest.
“Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.”Psalm 67:7-8
Satan is trying to block us from praising God, but we have the authority to resist him and tell him to let us go. ‘Let the people praise thee.’ Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘Let My People go that they may worship me in the Wilderness.’
“Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” Genesis 8:1
We have the authority to rebuke Satan and to get him off our backs and out of our lives. He is the one who is preventing us from our harvest. We are all designed to bring forth a harvest, an increase. Praising God brings our harvest about and accelerates the process.
To get to a higher level of praise we need to start with thankfulness. It's amazing how constant thankfulness makes us more and more aware of the goodness of God in your lives. We live in a very blessed land and in a very blessed time, but we can be blinded to it all.
One thing I have seen as I have thanked God more and more is all the amazing things that I have just taken for granted. What about remote controls for you flat screen television? What about electric lights and all the other mod cons that we have? I can see that we are definitely in the End Times. The Bible says that there would be ‘wonders’ in the Heaven's and upon the earth before the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord comes. What about the air planes that fly in the sky? What about the automobiles (horseless carriages) that travel along the ground. If you don’t acknowledge these things you will not understand the signs of the times. These things would have been wonders to the Prophet Joel back in the day.
“I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” Joel 2:30-31
Paul said that he thanked God in all things and also said that he thanked God for you. (The Church.)
“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.” 2 Thessalonians 1:3
Thanking God for the people in our lives is one of the greatest things that you can thank God for. People are more valuable than money or possessions. We can't take any of those things with us but we can influence and take souls with us to Heaven. Also thank God for your wife, thank God for your husband and children. You may say “I can't for they are a pain.” “They give me so many problems.” You can't love those whom you're not thankful for. Thank God for your partner for the Bible says ‘love your enemies.’ If we are asked to love our enemies how much more then, our partner. Maybe your partner is there to be a blessing to you and to open our eyes to our faults. I too thought I was a wonderful Christian until I got married.
Thanking God brings you into His Gates: The Gates of His presence, it's called the Courts of God. It's also called The Garden of God and is also called God's Territory a place of Men and Angels. A place of miracles. It's your Canaan land, the Land of Promise. It’s His Kingdom and the Day of the Lord. We are always invited in but through a lack of praise we have been robbed, we've been distracted, we've been frustrated and we’ve been double minded.
Praising God for your church family leads to great blessing. Look at Job. it says that God turned job’s captivity when he prayed for his friends. Pray for your church friends. It goes on to say that Job got twice as much as he had before after he prayed for his friends. It will release the double portion into your life.
“When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before!” Job 42:10
Stop complaining, stop doubting, stop trying to work everything out and start praising God right now. Start the journey by being thankful so that you can enter His Gates and then into His Courts. This will position you for miracles. You will also think clearer and hear God's voice easier. God will bring you to your desired Haven. It says that we are to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3
When you get up in the mornings you have to put on your clothes. You don’t call forth your shirt from the cupboard. You have to put it on. In the same way we can’t expect God to put a garment of praise on us, we have to put it on. Take of the heaviness through praise and bless the Lord.
This verse also shows us that there is ‘a spirit’ that makes us feel depressed but we have the answer. We need to put on the garment of praise as protection.Its like a force field. It’s not just telling that spirit to go away but its also to replace it for the garment of praise. Yes we are to resist the enemy but not just leave it at that, put on the garment of praise.
These days are perilous, and we don’t know what’s going to happen next, but having on the garment of praise prepares us for all things that may catch us by surprise. Rise up you Sons of Judah.
